25 Things Every Young Lacrosse Player Should Know

Courtesy of 24/7 Lax.  25 great things every young lacrosse player should know.  If you're a young lacrosse player, no matter what level - youth to high school all-american - you should take all of these points to heart.  Read up!

1)  When shooting with your friends, don’t stand around. Practice shooting on the run coming out of dodges. Time and room shots in games are few and far between.

2)  Work on your off hand. Only the elite talent/athlete gets by with one hand. Chances are you do not fall into that category.

3)  Celebrate with class. Thousands of players before you have scored more clutch goals than you. Act like you’ve been there before. Same thing goes for dog piling on the field after a win.

4)  Get low and use two hands on ground balls. Nothing makes you look softer than a failed one-handed scoop in traffic.

5)  Just put the ball in the net. You can be the kid with 3 goals in the box score or the the kid with 1 goal, a missed behind the back, and a sweet crank that missed top cheddar. Overhand and off hip work well.

6)  Respect your coaches. You may not be the All-American you think you are. Make eye contact when your coaches are talking and keep your mouth shut. You might learn something.

7)  String yourself a nice gamer and a good backup if possible and be done with it. Don’t try to keep up with the Jones’s and feel like you always need the next best thing. Spend that time and energy working on your fitness and skills.

8)  If you are on a budget, buy last year’s head and shaft on sale. You’ll get great deals on products that are not much different than the latest and greatest. Spend your money on a good pocket.

9)  If you limit your circle of friends to only other lacrosse players, you’re doing yourself a disservice. The lax bro culture isn’t very cultured at all. Be your own person.

10)  Be responsible for your gear, uniform, cleats, mouthpiece, etc. Take inventory well in advance of practice and make sure you have everything you need. Police up your gear after the game. Mom and dad work too hard to pay for replacement gear you lost track of because you were too busy squirting water on your teammates after practice.

11)  Getting stripped of the ball creates a sinking feeling. It happens to everyone. Don’t sulk, work to get the ball back. There’s nothing worse than seeing a kid hang his head and kick rocks instead of getting after the ball that is five feet away.

12)  Recognize that lacrosse is a team sport. When a teammate is open, get the ball to that player regardless of who it is. Make good decisions and let the coach worry about who he puts on the field.

13)  Take pride in the little things. If you’re an attackman, ride hard. If you’re a middie, play tough “D”. If you play defense, move your feet and value position over the home run check. Hopefully, you’re trying to help your team, not make a highlight reel.

14)  Respect your parents. Being disrespectful to your parents reflects poorly on you and embarrasses your family. Your parents don’t owe you anything.

15)  Don’t be a twit on Twitter, Facebook, etc. It is mind boggling what kids will put out on the internet for public consumption. Don’t let a screenshot of an ill-advised internet rant ruin you. It has and will continue to do just that to all too many kids who post before thinking.

16)  If it were up to most kids, they would always have new gear and clothes. Not everyone is in a position to indulge in the latest and greatest. Be deeper than judging a kid based on their appearance. Judge kids for what kind of teammate or person they are.

17)  Don’t be a black hole. No matter how good you think you are, your teammates don’t want to see you dodge through double and triple teams while passing up good looks to open players, whether you score or not.

18)  Show up to practice (on time) with the mindset that you are going to work to get better, not just because it’s what you have to do. Push yourself.

19)  Lacrosse is a small community. Act the fool, be uncoachable, or have meddling parents and you’ll find it tough to shake that reputation.

20)  From time to time, a coach is going to correct, yell, or bench you. Justified or not, get used to it and be open to the fact that you may not be as good as you (or your parents) think you are.

21)  Stick tricks will do wonders for your game. You’ll wonder where your playing time went because you were wasting time trying to perfect the “Triple Lindy” or something equally ridiculous, instead of working on actual skills.

22)  Don’t twirl or spin your stick. It’s a horrible habit that some kids can’t shake. A kid who can’t move the ball quickly because he has to twirl his stick every time he touches the ball will be twirling his flow on the sideline instead.

23)  Put as much time getting your body in shape as you do on honing your stick skills. Those stick skills don’t mean a whole lot if you’re gassed after 10 minutes.

24)  Play other sports. This has been said before, ad nauseam, because it’s good advice. Don’t burn yourself out and learn to be an athlete and not just a lacrosse player.

25)  Have fun and play because you enjoy the game.

Mikey Powell's Tips on Dodging

#22 Mikey Powell

By Craig Haley

The hardest player for a lacrosse defenseman to stop is the one coming straight at him full speed.

Imagine when that player is Mikey Powell, the legendary attackman/midfielder.

Defensemen often face this predicament against the Major League Lacrosse All-Star because he is so skilled at lacrosse dodges, which get him free to take shots or make passes.

“My job on every lacrosse team that I’ve ever been on has been to be the main dodger,” Powell says. “An offense can’t be successful unless one of the guys knows how to dodge.”

What makes Mikey Powell so outstanding at dodges is his ability to make every one look the same, including the split dodge, face dodge and roll dodge. A defenseman usually is left to pick his poison and Powell has left many in his wake throughout his career. A four-time first-team All-American at Syracuse, he has filled the nets for the Boston Cannons in MLL.

Powell’s lacrosse tips for dodges is to use explosive speed on the approach to a defensemen and to make the dodge happen at what he calls the “break point.” This is the spot in front of the defenseman where his lacrosse stick would end if he held it out in front of himself.  This timing is critical. The defenseman will be able to drop step if the dodge is performed too far away and he can check with his stick if the dodge is done too closely.

Powell’s favorite move is the split dodge. With this move, the offensive player will fake in one direction, hoping to bait the defenseman into overcommitting that way. The offensive player will hold his lacrosse stick up by his head – to protect the ball from a check – plant with his outside foot, then step with his inside foot and head in the opposite direction while bringing the lacrosse stick across his body and switching his hands on the stick. He could have a shot as he gets past the defenseman.

“A lot of players will do stutter steps and things like that,” Powell says.  “I like to just be real crisp with it.”

#0 Mikey Powell with the Boston Cannons of the MLL

A face dodge looks like a shot at the start and is similar to the split dodge. Unlike the split dodge, though, the offensive player doesn’t switch the stick in his hands. He will swing the stick across his face and tuck it against his shoulder to prevent the defenseman from going for the head of the stick.

“Once I get by him, obviously I have him beat,” Powell says. “This is gonna be tough for him to get back in the play, so I’m gonna finish it.”

No lacrosse dodge protects the stick (and ball) better than the roll dodge. Mikey Powell likes to make this move from behind the goal to set up teammates.

With the roll dodge, the offensive player will fake the defenseman into committing one way, plant his inside foot and then spin around and away from his opponent. It’s important for the dodger to protect his lacrosse stick on the spin and not expose the ball to the defenseman.

“The whole time, my stick is always out in front of me,” Powell says. “I always have a visual on my stick, I’m always looking at it and I know the ball is always in there.”

5 Ways to Become a Better Shooter

From LaxAllStars.com

These FIVE Tips can help you become a better shooter in only a couple of weeks:

1) Forget Power, and Focus on Accuracy

It is extremely hard to learn how to shoot hard, and THEN work on your accuracy.  I tried this in high school, and it does NOT work.  The form you develop by focusing on power only is almost universally AWFUL.  Focus on shooting the right way, and focus on putting the ball where you want it, THEN work your way up the power scale.  Without control, pure power is garbage.

2) Train Simple, Train Hard

So many athletes today think they need to have a personal trainer or be on the cusp of training technology.  Bologna.  If you want to shoot accurately and hard, you don’t need a trainer.  You need a pull up bar and some running shoes. Do pulls ups every other day for your back and arms.  Do push ups every other day for your chest and core. Do sit ups or other ab exercises religiously. RUN and work those legs!  Great shooters generate control and power with every portion of their body.  Be strong, train hard and your shooting will improve.  If you are going to hit the gym, focus on Olympic lifts for total body power.

3) Play Wall Ball

It seems like I always use wall ball as a “way to improve”.  This is because it is the SINGLE most important aspect of becoming a good lacrosse player.  If you can really pound the ball off the wall, it means you can catch and then move the ball accurately.  Shooting is very similar, and the skill sets translate effortlessly.  Like I said in point 1, focus on accuracy.  When you shoot on a cage, the ball can go anywhere.  Who cares?  But when you play wall ball, you need to be accurate.  It’s a great shooter’s best friend.

4) Keep Your Shooting Skill Set Diverse

There are guys out there who are time and room shooters (Forrest Sonnenfeldt, Kyle Wharton) and there are guys who are better on the run (Mike Kimmel, Hakeem Lecky) and then there are guys who are great at both (Colin Briggs, Paul Rabil, Jay Jalbert).  You want to be the guy who is great at both. Maybe you’ll be better at one, but practice both.  Going out and ripping shots all day from 13 yards is a mistake.  Take some on run, take some from low angles.  Mix it up and be diverse, because you’ll probably have to do that in a game.  Don’t be a one-dimensional shooter.

5) Partner Up For Better Training

I don’t mind seeing a guy out on a field with a bag of balls all by himself.  Nothing wrong with that at all.  But if you have the chance to partner up when shooting, take it!  It is much easier to replicate catching a pass on the run and then shooting, or catching a pass for a time and room shot when you have someone to throw it to you.  This partner can be a parent, coach or teammate.  Reliance on a partner should NOT be used as an excuse (e.g. my shooting partner can’t make it so I’m going to play video games instead) but it can definitely help you improve!
I’d mention SHOOTING OVERHAND as a sixth tip, but at this point, you should really know better.  Don’t believe me?  Shoot Overhand.  And Shoot Overhand Under Pressure.  There, NOW you should believe me.

How to Become a Better Lacrosse Player Away from the Field

How to Become a Better Lacrosse Player Away from the Field

1.  Play wall ball.  Go to the nearest school and pass and catch against the wall. 

2.  If there is an outdoor field or goal nearby – use it!

3.  Play catch at the park or in the backyard with a teammate, friend, parent, or sibling.  If they do not have a stick, have them use a baseball glove and tennis ball.

4.  Place an obstacle in your backyard (pylon, lawn chair, garbage can, etc) and work on your one-on-one moves.  For example, head fakes, shoulder fakes, stick fakes, change of pace, roll dodges, face dodges, bull dodges and split dodges.

5.  Practice cradling in your bedroom, in front of the TV, walking around the house, walking down the street...anywhere!  Practice with you non-dominant hand a equal amount.  Work on stick tricks to improve your feel for the ball and stick skills.

6.  Run around the block while cradling the ball.  If you have a treadmill, jump on the treadmill and practice cradling while running a mile or two on the treadmill and getting a workout in at the same time.  Just start slow so you don’t get shot off the back of the treadmill and injured.

7.  Work on loose balls in your backyard.  Being good at ground balls can make the difference between a first teamer and someone riding the pine.  Practice your groundballs!

8.  Put a piece of tape on a chainlink fence and, using a tennis ball, shoot at it.

9.  Improve your footwork - Improving footwork is an underrated way to improve as a player. So much of what lacrosse players do on the field relies on having quick feet and proper footwork.  A great way to improve footwork is to lay down a training or agility ladder and go through a few routines repetitively. Another excellent way to improve footwork and lower body coordination is with a jump rope. Jump ropes are inexpensive and they don’t take up a whole lot of space. Dedicating 20 minutes per day to a jump rope routine can very quickly improve a player’s footwork and foot speed.

10.  Get in Shape - Having the stamina to play an entire game and make it through all those grueling practices the coach likes to run is crucial. Stamina is mostly built through distance running and cardio work. Doing something as simple as running around five or six miles per week for the two months prior to the season should be pretty adequate in getting a player the stamina he needs. Start off by doing a mile at a time, maybe three to four times per week. Once this distance becomes easy, try stepping up to two miles at a time. About two to three months of distance training should be adequate enough for gaining the stamina a player needs.

Weightlifting can help a player improve his overall strength, but heavy lifting is not      recommended for younger players who have yet to fully physically mature.  The goal of weight training is not to get hugely buff, but rather to improve core strength and tone the muscles most vital to a lacrosse player

Practicing Off a Wall Pays Off

By Craig Haley
Play SportsTV Managing Editor

Salisbury University lacrosse coach Jim Berkman

“A lacrosse player’s best friend,” says Salisbury University men’s lacrosse coach Jim Berkman, who has won the most games in NCAA history, “is a nice concrete wall that he can throw the ball off for endless hours and numerous times.
 
“The kids that throw the ball off the wall are able to motivate themselves to do that for hours upon end (and) are usually the kids that separate themselves in the game of lacrosse.”
 
It sounds so simple, but it’s true. The gym rats of lacrosse usually become its top players because they work the hardest on their craft.
 
There aren’t enough youth lacrosse coaches to keep up with the sport’s growing popularity among kids lax players today. So in addition to playing on teams or attending camps, the best players have to keep working on their lacrosse skills and figuring out their moves. Throwing a ball off a wall is a great way to work on eye-hand coordination, strengthen wrists and develop lacrosse stick skills.
 
“Anybody who has ever been any good in lacrosse has always had a great stick,” says Berkman, who won eight Division III titles in his first 20 years at Salisbury University. “A great-stick kid just never puts his stick down. He’s always got his stick wherever he goes, he’s always playing catch with his buddies, with his dad, he’s throwing the ball off the wall all the time and he has a routine where he loves to go shoot off the wall, he loves to go shoot on the net. And he’s doing it with both hands all the time. It seems that those kids who have that drive and determination and love for the game, that never put their sticks down and always have it in their hands where it becomes an extension of their arm instead of a foreign object, end up being the ones with the best skills.”
 
The more a lacrosse player practices throwing off a wall, the better. While standing 5 to 10 yards away from the wall - and eventually farther - it’s important to be creative. A player can work with a quick stick throw, on the backhand or while in motion. He should work on both hands – throwing with one hand and catching with the other, incorporating dodge moves and reversing the stick handle, or just using the same hand for the catch and throw, and then switching his handle. Do the work in sets, and above all do a lot of wall-ball lacrosse throwing.

Developing Your Dodging

Article from Inside Lacrosse featuring Brendan Mundorf

Brendan Mundorf #2

Brendan Mundorf is one of the most feared dodgers in the world. He's scored with incredible consistency over his six years with the MLL's Denver Outlaws, and without ever canning a two-point shot, he's approaching 250 career points — so you know he can get to the cage. The STX athlete is also getting his camp company Mundorf Lacrosse rolling, and here he is perfecting his method of teaching players how to dodge.

01: When to Dodge
I always want to start a dodge off of ball movement or when my defender is approaching me; the faster or more out of control he's running at me, the more comfortable I am to start my dodge. By the same measure,  I like to always have my feet moving when I catch the ball or any other time pre-dodge — essentially, I don't want to go to the cage if I'm standing still and my defender has his body into me.

Typically, the best time to attack from X is after a middie has made a strong dodge down the alley and worked it behind because my defender' going to be coming down from his help position on goal line extended and the rest of the defense is recovering off of a slide. As a result, it's usually best to go for the backside pipe because the frontside is crowded by the dodger and the defenders who stepped up to turn him back.

02: How to Dodge
At my first step, I picture a straight line between my feet and where on the field I want to release the shot. Then I attack my defender, going straight at him, and take one hard step to the front side pipe causing the defender to drop step turning his hips and shoulders in one direction. Once he does that, I make my move, like a split dodge here, and I aim for his back shoulder and run through it.

The benefit of dodging a moving defenseman is that it's easier to get him to choose one direction. After the move, keep running at the defenseman to take away his checking ability.

03: Stick Protection and Hand Placement

Mundorf dodging

One thing that separates the best players like Ned Crotty is an ability to get their shot off even when they're covered. Two things that are important in being able to do that are stick protection and hand placement in releasing your shot. Protecting your stick is something that develops, and the best way to do it is to practice dodging over and over until you have confidence in knowing how to hold your stick.  I focus on keeping my hands totally across my body and my stickside elbow tight to my chest so the defender can't get a lift.

This plays perfectly into getting a well-disguised shot off.  Keeping my hands low, I work on turning the corner, rotating my body and releasing around my defender. A great way to practice this is by putting a trashcan at five-and-five, dodging at full speed to the edge of it then shooting around it.

Fundamentals of Goalie Play

Essential to every team is a good goalie. A goalie needs to be a leader with very good knowledge of the game, its rules and understanding of the needs of the team. The following covers the fundamental technique of playing lacrosse goalie.

Fundamentals

• Simple Concept: intercept the ball in its path with your stick or body before it goes in the goal.
• Musts: Cup, Helmet, Goalie Stick, Chest protector, throat guard, and gloves. Anything else is up to you.
•  Goalie Positioning
• Fingers should hold the stick, but not choke it. Handle should be in fingers not palms.
• Hands should be about 12” apart in a comfortable relaxed position.
• Arms should be away from your body, but you should not have flying wings, far enough so you can easily maneuver the stick in a clock and counter clock- wise fashion (like a baseball player). Far enough away from your head so you don’t hit your mask when you move it from stick side high to off stick side high.
• Feet should be shoulder distance apart and weight should be forward. Not necessarily on your toes but definitely not back on your heals.
• Body position should be similar to a linebacker, a tennis player: an athlete.
• Goalie Stick should be positioned just off your shoulder covering the “Box Area”. If you are right handed, you hold the top of the stick (toward the stick head) with your right hand and the bottom hand (left hand for righties) should be about 12” away. Arms bend at elbows and away from your body. Head of stick should be slightly forward and you should be ready to step toward the ball in an easy fluid motion.

• Step to the ball – Legs come together
• Attack the ball. Get your whole body in the path of the ball. Your stick gets there first while starting to step to the path of the ball.
• You should step to the ball beginning with the foot and leg from the side the ball came from. The step should be at about a 45 degree angle towards the ball.  If the ball (bounce, high, or low) came toward you from the right of your body, you should step with your right foot and leg followed by your left foot and leg coming together with your right foot and leg. If the ball came from toward you from the left side of your body, you should step to the path with your left foot and leg followed by your right foot and leg coming together with your left foot and leg.  Always follow your stick with your body.  If you happen to miss with your stick, your body will be in position to stop the shot then.  Don't play "matador."
• If the ball is a bounce shot position your chin at the point of the bounce while stepping to get in the path of the ball. Your stick gets to the ball first with your whole body following.
• This is true for any shot. Every time. Practice, Practice, Practice! Attack, attack, attack

• Goalie Position in the Goal

• When the ball is in front of the opening of the Goal, you should be in the goalie position on the imaginary “half moon” between the pipes and move as the ball moves. As the ball moves from pipes, side, front (top) right and left, you should be moving on the half moon to be in position to attack any shot that comes near the goal.
• When the ball is behind at X (directly behind the goal) or off pipes right and left, you should be positioned at the center of the moon, waiting in goalie position except with your bottom hand at the end of the handle so that you are in position to “steal the ball”. Only make the attempt if you can be successful. Do not be over anxious so as to be out of position for the next opportunity to make a save.
• When the ball is thrown from back to front, you move with the side the ball went to first. If I am standing at the x of the moon, and the ball is thrown from back right to side left, I turn (clockwise) with my right side moving first to get my stick to the ball side as fast as I can the rest of my body follows my head. If the ball is thrown from back right to side right I move (counter clockwise) my right side to the ball first followed by stepping with my right foot to the right side of the goal.

• Catch the ball
• Don’t pop at it. Cradle it into your stick like other players do. Don’t stab or pop it. Catch it.
• Make sure your pocket is broken in.
• Make sure your stick is in good repair. Fixing any loose or broken strings prior to game.

• Throw the ball
• You must be able to cradle and throw just like any of your teammates. They must be able to rely on you to control the ball, catch the ball, cradle the ball, and throw the ball with consistency and accuracy. Half field accurate and consistent throws at a minimum.
• To throw the ball you position your hands in a throwing position. Bottom hand at the end of the handle and top hand about 12 to 18 inches away as to allow the “levered” throwing of the ball. Always step toward your target and lead the runner just like a quarter back would lead a wide receiver. Don’t throw buddy passes.
• After you pass the ball, look to get back in the cage.

• Crease

• The crease is yours; it is your domain; it is your protection. Your sole responsibility is to keep the ball from going into the goal. You can use the crease to help you do that.
• Remember to always clamp on the ball with your stick when it is near the crease. Rake it back to you but be careful not to allow it to pop out. Get your defensemen to know what “clear the crease” means.
• After you have possession of the ball, you have three seconds to get the ball out of your crease (pass it or walk/run it out).
• Look for the attack man standing in front of your crease while you are attempting to make a clear.
• If there is no fast break or out let pass, take the ball behind.
• You cannot go back into the crease after you have left it with the ball. You can enter the crease at anytime without the ball. Remember the ball in the back of the net trick.

• Communicate
• Talk to your coach about the proper calls he wants you to make. You need to use an authoritative voice without yelling. Know everyone’s name, nick name. Talk to provide information not to talk.
• Some of the calls that might be made by a goalie:
• Stick side high, med. Low, off stick high, med. low
• Check sticks
• Square right or left
• Stick on Stick
• Front (top) left, center right
• Side left, Red Zone, Side right
• Pipe (post) side left, Pipe (post) side right
• Back left, X (back Center) and Back right
• Clear the crease
• Clear
• Redirect
• Who’s got man, Numbers?
• The hole and who has got the hole?
• Fast Break
• Who’s backing up
• Ball, ball down
• Watch the pick, who has his back

• Have Fun!

Instructional Video of the Week: Lacrosse Catching Fundamentals

Great video from Tier Lacrosse on basic lacrosse catching fundamentals which supports the previous post about deep bag pockets creating bad habits in young lacrosse players.  This is one of the most basic of fundamentals, but is often where many bad habits can start and can have a very negative effect as the player grows.  This is especially important for Northern lacrosse players, many of whom I see snatching and twisting the ball out of the air when they catch.  This video emphasizes the importance of catching the ball with soft hands.  Just watching the first few minutes is very educational for young players.

Why a Deep Pocket Won't Make You a Better Player

How many young lacrosse players think a deep pocket in their lacrosse stick is the way to go?  Trevor Tierney, a former national champion goalie at Princeton and son of legendary college lacrosse coach Bill Tierney, suggests that a deep pocket encourages lots of bad habits in the young lacrosse player.  Tierney is the founder of Tier Lacrosse whose mission is to help grow the game of lacrosse and use the game as a way for young lacrosse players to grow and evolve as both athletes and as people. 

From Tier Lacrosse.

DEAR SANTA...I WANT A NEW STICK WITH NO POCKET

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 AT 6:09AM

One of the biggest problems that I see in youth lacrosse is that young players are learning to play with huge pockets. Here are the reasons why most youth players love having a bag in their stick and the disadvantages of each perceived "advantage" :

1. It's easier to catch the ball with a deep bag. While this is true, it also allows young players to develop bad habits while catching the ball. For instance, many players will "snatch" at the ball and twist their stick into the catch, instead of catching it behind their head. To see the best way to learn how to catch the ball, watch these two videos by Josh Sims and I : VIDEO I / VIDEO 2 .  As we display in those videos, the disadvantages of snatching the ball are numerous. Many times, the player usually drops the ball by spinning his stick and hitting it with the plastic, instead of giving with the ball in the pocket. Also, if you catch with your stick in front of your head, then it takes more time to bring it back for a pass or shot. To be able to get a quick shot or pass off, you need to be able to catch the ball behind your head and then you can get it out all in one motion.

2. Youth players must think the coolest part of lacrosse is cradling. The first thing I ever see with a beginning player is that he is cradling and spinning his stick wildly out of control, but the ball is still staying put because of the bag in his stick. The problem with the ball staying in the stick is that it makes it hard for that player to get it out for quick passes. This is wear youth players struggle the most. They may be able to throw a decent pass when they have all the time in the world in line drills or partner passing, but when they dodge in a game and a quick slide comes, they cannot get the ball out of their stick to save their lives! Being able to move the ball quickly is one of the most important aspects of the game. Youth players cannot do that with a huge bag or a lot of whip in their stick.

3. Youth, high school, college and pro players all do one thing very well - and that's because they all practice it ad nauseam - they can shoot great with time and room. They are all able to stand around a goal with no one on them, take a few cradles and LET IT FLY! The better players obviously can shoot it harder and into the corners more often than beginners, but anyone can shoot with time and room in lacrosse. Since this is the skill that players practice most often, what skill do you think they string their sticks geared towards? You guessed it…this certain time and room shot that happens maybe once a game. If you have a deep pocket and some whip, it definitely helps put some more heat on the ball. However, it hurts the players skills in the two other areas that I talked about above. It also makes them less effective shooting on the run, which is a much more important skill to have as a player gets to take that shot more often.

So youth players like having a big pocket because it makes it easy to cradle the ball and do stick tricks, to catch the ball in an ineffective manner, and to let it rip when no one else is in the same county as them. This is a bad way to learn to play lacrosse! If you go back and watch some college lacrosse from the nineties, you will see that the players had much smaller pockets. They also were able to cradle, catch, throw and shoot very effectively and quickly due to these smaller pockets. To find great lacrosse games on DVD, all you have to do is click on this link to Amazonand look up some of the NCAA Division I games from the nineties. You will be amazed by what you see and the skills that these players demonstrate are the perfect way for youth players to learn the game!

So, I want all youth players (especially my Denver Elite guys) to go get scissors, cut their pockets out and chuck them in the trash can. If you can string your own stick (which you should learn to do as a lacrosse player, by the way) then string up a nice new shallow pocket. If you cannot string up a stick, then take it to your local lax shop and have them string you up a shallow pocket with no whip. At this time of year, you can even ask Santa for Christmas (or your dear old grandma for Channukah) for a new stick (WITH NO POCKET SANTA…OR GRANDMA…GET IT RIGHT!). Better yet, you could also get a girls' stick to practice with which makes it even more challenging to learn these skills in the right way.

With all this being said, here are the steps you need to take to become a better player…and this goes for most of you high school players as well :

1. Get rid of that bag. I don't want to see it again until you get offered a scholarship by some big time NCAA program!

2. Go get a new stick with a shallow pocket.

3. Watch some game film from the nineties and study how those guys played back then.

4. Get out and practice with your new baby. It's going to be a lot harder to catch, throw and shoot, but that's okay. It's going to make you a MUCH better player!

Instructional Video of the Week: Attack Buzz Words

Some good advice for young attackmen

Offensive Tips for the Midfielder

A couple of weeks ago we offered some defensive tips for midfielders. This week, we have some offensive tips for midfielders.

Midfield Offense Tips

1. Endurance.  Endurance is a midfielders best friend.  As a middie you need to be the most well conditioned player on the field.  How else are you going to make a big stop on D and than go to the O side and stick a corner?

In the off season, you should be running both long-distance and sprints every day.

Even if you aren't that great of a ball handler, if you have speed, then you have much of what you need.

2. Get GREAT at ground balls. The team that controls the ground ball game, wins the actual game.  No matter what level of lacrosse you play in, there will always be ground balls to pick up.

Just remember to get low and scoop through the ball.  Pound it into your head to NEVER rake the ball, and always scoop through the ball.

One more thing to remember with ground balls. Use two hands. One-hand ground balls are for showoffs that never get the job done. Use two hands, and be a reliable ground ball man.

Kyle Harrison after a successful split dodge

3. Become a GREAT dodger.  Don't dodge with the intention of always blowing by your defender.  To score goals, midfielders only need to be able to execute a dodge that will enable them to get their hands free for a quality shot or pass.  Getting your hands free for a shot (away from your defender and his stick) while in shooting range of the goal is the key to scoring goals.

When dodging from up top, midfielders can anticipate having to take a shot from a distance no closer than 8 yards away from the goal.  This is because there is often a defender standing right in front of the goal, on the crease area, who is ready to slide and double team if the offensive player gets close to the goal. Offensive midfielders that get too close to the goal before shooting the ball will often find themselves in this double-team and unable to shoot or pass effectively (a common mistake with young players).   As a result, midfielders should learn to shoot the ball relatively quickly out of their dodge.  A midfielder that has the ball and is within 13 yards of the goal with his hands free should shoot the ball if he has a quality shot, rather than trying to run in for a closer shot (if there are other defenders blocking his path to the goal).

Execute all of your moves in a game at FULL SPEED (Practice your moves this way too). Learn to play lefty and righty equally as well.   It does not matter how good you are at a dodge. If you make the move the same way every time, your defenseman will recognize this and you'll never get your hands free.

A player has a big advantage dodging from up top rather than behind the goal because they start their dodge while facing the goal, and therefore already have a shooting angle on the goal.  For midfielders, a basic split dodge is the dodge that will most often help you get your hands free for a shot, because when done correctly, it creates the most space between you and your defender than other dodges.  Midfielders should practice dodging and shooting drills designed to create separation from a defender within scoring range of the goal.

At the intermediate level, the split dodge is the primary dodge a midfielder should use.  It is actually better to have midfielders concentrate on this dodge because it makes them go north-south. Too often at the youth level, midfielders try to go back and forth across the field as they slowly back their way to the goal.  They either use a million face dodges or a million roll dodges and if they are lucky they get to the goal in a one-on-one situation. This is not an effective way to get to the goal in a game and it is not a dodge that any player would use at a more advanced level because he would get crushed.

Midfielders should be encouraged to make one hard move (a split dodge) and go to the goal.  Midfielders should attack their defenders “top” or “outside” foot, make them change direction, and then go to the goal. Midfielders will make split dodges from up top or from the wing but should never dodge east-west.  Getting to the goal or drawing a slide and passing is the main job for the midfielder on offense.  It is that easy.  A midfielder that understands this concept at an intermediate level will make them much better than their competition.

4. Become GREAT at shooting on the run.  Since they are learning to make one hard move and go to the goal, midfielders must also learn to shoot on the run. This is something that takes a great deal of practice and repetition. During practice, focus about 90% of the time shooting on the run. That is really the shot you will use most of the time in a game. The ability to shoot well on the run rests on the skills of snapping the wrists over and twisting the upper body.

Try to be deceptive. Try to hide your stick behind your body until the last second. And, make sure to shoot with the proper technique. Remember to:

• Get your hands away from your body - Hands and elbows high and away from your body, hands 12 inches apart close to the bottom of your handle
• Snap your stick over the top with your wrists
• Turn your shoulders and hips and uncork like a golfer
• Drive with your front shoulder toward the goal

Some players find it more effective to bring their hands closer together when shooting on the run because it gives them more torque on their shot.  Some players also find that jumping while shooting on the run gives them more power as it allows them to twist their body more as they are in the air.  This is a very difficult skill to learn and is more suitable for stronger, more advanced players.  If you are fading away from the goal or shooting off your back foot or not turning and shooting in stride, you’ll want to practice to break these bad habits right away.  A young midfielder who can learn to shoot on the run effectively will have a very bright future as a lacrosse player.

5. Perfect your quick stick. Quick sticking can be the most lethal attribute that a middie can have.  It is so difficult for the defender and the goalie to stop it, or to even see it coming.

It doesn't require a lot of power (or skill) to do. Just get out to a brick wall, and play wall ball.

It is very important that you learn how to quick stick with both hands. Doing this might make you the MVP of your team (at least for scoring and finishing).

6. Practice Time and Room shooting as well (midfielders have to be well-rounded). To learn to shoot with time and room from the outside, young midfielders should first try to catch the ball behind them.  If the midfielder can learn to catch the ball with his arms extended, his hands away from his body, and his stick behind him, then this will set him up for a great outside shot.

As he catches the ball, the midfielder wants to push off his back foot and step with his front foot, take a small cradle, and let the ball go.   Just having a quick shot at this level will catch goalies off guard.

Much like shooting on the run, catching and shooting with time and room is learned from a great deal of repetition. The more it is practiced, the greater the level of muscle-memory will come into play. Things to watch out for and avoid when practicing time and room shots are letting your hands get to close to your body, letting the head of your stick drop, using your arms instead of your wrists, stepping with the wrong foot, and attacking the ball when catching instead of receiving it behind you.

7. Learn how to play off the ball. Off ball play is an overlooked and important part of the midfielder's game. 60-70% of the goals scored are assisted by a teammate. To get these scoring opportunities however, you must know how to move without the ball.

Here are four tips to better off ball play:

• After throwing a pass, immediately cut to the goal for a return pass (give and go), Most defenseman relax after you give up the ball...make em pay.
• If the defenseman covering you goes to double or help a teammate, follow behind him and get in a passing lane.
• Always cut to the ball as hard and fast as you do when you dodge. You'll be surprised how open you get just by cutting 100%.
• Watch top level lacrosse and see how the middies and attackmen cut. Also watch and play basketball.

8. Perfect your Passing game. The key to being great at midfield is learning when and how to pass.   Of course every player wants to be the one who scores the goal, but a player who can pass when necessary is worth more to the team.  Make sure that your passes have purpose. You don’t want to move the ball just for the sake of passing.  If the recipient is no better off to make a move or shot on goal, then the pass loses its value.  After a pass, however, the midfielder should hustle down to the goal to grab a return pass if necessary. A midfielder should always be on the move to keep the defense on their toes.

For young midfielders, it's important to pass before you run into trouble, find one or two or three opposing players collapsing on you and then can't make a good pass or shoot.  Midfielders need to see the field and pass to the open man before they draw the double or triple team.  It's painful to watch young midfielders dodge to the goal directly into trouble while one or two of their teammates wait open for a pass.  Learning to see the field and find the open man comes with experience.  

9. Practice your face-off technique. Don't rely on the other guy all the time. Learn some moves and practice! Young midfielders should all practice face-offs. You may be called upon to face-off in a game and you should know how to do it and practice. If not practiced, it might be hard to discover who might be good at it as well. Face-off tips coming soon.

Defensive Tips for Midfielders

The following are some tips for playing defense from the midfield position. Defense from the midfield position, particularly for short stick midfielders, is a critical aspect of overall team defense.

1.  Play defense with your feet.  Good footwork is a critical skill for defensive players. Good footwork means speed, agility, and quickness.   Not every player naturally possesses great speed, agility, or quickness, but every player can gain it. You can do this by jumping rope, wind sprints, shuttles runs, and playing pick-up basketball.

Play basketball a lot to help learn to play with your feet. Get your hands up in front of you.  Find pick-up games at gyms, playgrounds, schools, etc.  Play against people taller and faster than you.  The principles are exactly the same, and it's a lot easier to get a pick-up game of basketball going than a pick-up game of lacrosse.

2.  Look at your opponents waist.  What are you looking at when your opponent starts to dodge at you? (His eyes? His stick?) These are common mistakes. You'll probably get faked out. You should be looking at his waist. Wherever his waist goes, he is going.  If you ever played football this is where you are taught to look when trying to tackle someone. You can still see what he wants to do with the ball out of the corner of your eye.

3.  The main goal of a midfielder playing defense from up top is to keep his man down the side or going down the alleys.  An important concept when playing defense against an offensive midfielder is the position of your stick, more specifically the head of your stick. The proper way to hold your stick as you are covering a dodger from up top is to have the head of your stick in an “UPFIELD” position.  Upfield means that you have the head of your stick towards the midfield line and your butt end towards the goalie.   For example, if you are covering a dodger going down the field’s left hand side, the head of your stick should be to your right (hence pointing to the midfield line). If the dodger is going down the right hand side of the field your stick should be to your left (hence pointing to the midfield line).   

By having the head of your stick in the UPFIELD position you accomplish a major defensive goal – preventing a dodger from rolling back or getting to the middle of the field.  The middle of the field is sacred for a defense and needs to be protected at all costs because it is where offensive players have the best angle to shoot and greatest chance to score. When you can keep an offensive player down the sides and not the middle of the field you decrease your opponent’s shooting angle and make the job of your goalie and fellow defensemen easier.

4.  You want to dictate where your man goes, not the opposite.  Force him to his weak hand or toward a diminishing shooting angle.  Do this by slightly turning your hips and shoulders and mostly by actually being on one side of him. The key to good team defense is tricking your opponent into taking poor shots. So play your individual defense accordingly.  Once he makes a move, close the distance between you, and take a good angle so you'll meet him at a point where he becomes dangerous.

The d-middie wants to guide his man down the side of the field for three reasons.  The first reason is that the further the offensive midfielder goes down the side, the less of an angle that he will have for a shot. Secondly, the further he goes down the side, the fewer options he will have for a feed.  Finally, the defender that is sliding to the ball carrier will know exactly where he needs to slide if the d-middie gets beat by a few steps. The defensive midfielder keeps the ball carrier going down the side by using a cross check (which is gently pushing the ball carrier out with the shaft of his stick and his hands about six inches apart on the stick (if his hands are two wide or he jolts the ball carrier with his stick, then a penalty will be called).

If an intermediate level midfielder can learn to keep his man down the side, then he/she is way ahead of the game.  This does take some time to learn.  When teaching this Coach Bill Tierney always tells his midfielders, “All I want you to do is get beat. Just make sure you get beat down the side of the field and not towards the middle of the field.” As simple as it sounds, it takes a great deal of practice for youth players to grasp. Once they learn though, it makes them a great defensive player as a midfielder.

5.  Don't throw stick checks until you have perfected footwork and body position.  A check thrown when not in good foot position will almost always result in a whiff or a foul.  If you are in good position and your man is getting ready to pass or shoot, the most effective check is a lift check. Get under his bottom elbow with your stick (or glove on your stick) and lift up and toward yourself (to avoid nipping his facemask on the way up).

Never lunge at the offensive player.  As you attempt to make a stick check, you need to keep your feet moving the whole time.  Active feet are essential when you attempt to throw stick checks.  Many defensive players make the mistake of stopping their feet as they throw a check.  Doing so allows an offensive player to run right by the defenseman if they miss the check.  Keeping your feet moving allows you to recover from a missed check and not give up an easy angle to score.  Players should work on developing the ability to time their checks perfectly by going for the stick at the exact moment it may be left open.

After your check is made, it is extremely important to come up with the groundball pickup and keep possession of the ball for your team. If you are going to go for the check, then go for it hard and come up with the ball.

6.  Short stick middies job is basically one of containment - you're not there to take the ball away, thats the long stick's job. As has been said, keep him to the channels, don't get beat inside, don't rely on throwing stick checks, and don't go one-handed to throw a check.  If you do, you're already beat and 90% of the time the best you can hope for is to not draw a flag.   Nothing good ever comes from defending with one hand on your stick.

7.  Never chase after the ball carriers stick to try and take the ball away. Whenever this happens, the defensive midfielder gets beat towards the top side.

It is very important for young midfielders to learn the importance of getting back “in the hole”.  This means that when the other team gets the ball, the midfielder’s first objective should be to get back to the defensive side, within the restraining box and let the offense come to them.  Too many young lacrosse players consistently slide up field. For example, say the Tigers take the ball away from the Bears. A Tiger player has the ball in the defensive end and starts running up field towards the Bears’ goal.  At most beginner levels, the Bears’ midfielders will run at the Tiger player and try to take the ball.  This is called sliding up field and is the biggest mistake that an uneducated lacrosse player makes.   The Bears’ midfielders should just run back to their goal, break down and get ready to defend.  With the way lacrosse is played now, sliding up field rarely gets the ball back from the other team, and usually ends up in transition situations and scoring for the other team.  A great lesson for young middies to learn is as soon as the other team gets the ball, get back on defense.  It will help your team, and it will give your midfielders a good foundation for playing solid defense.

8.   If you're a D-Middie accept your role on the team. You aren't going to score a lot of points, but if you are good at defense you will have a lot of fast break opportunities that offensive middies won't.  Most lacrosse players don't get a lot of PT. You have maybe 40 guys on a team and 18 play a lot. That's just the way it is.

If you're middle of the road in stick skills as a middie, you can get more playing time if you're a good groundballer, hustle, play D-Mid, wing on face-offs and man-down defense.

9.  Communicate!  Communicating with your fellow defensemen is vital to a defense’s success. Creative and effective offenses excel at two things – picking and moving without the ball.  It is important to communicate with other defensemen during a pick play so you know whether to switch players or maintain your match-ups.  If your man is going to set a pick on your fellow defenseman, let them know that a pick is coming and from what direction, and then tell them to either “SWITCH” or “STAY ON MAN”.  YOU CAN NEVER TALK TOO MUCH OR TALK TOO LOUDLY ON THE LACROSSE FIELD.  A loud and talkative defense is an effective one. 

10.  Be the toughest son-of-a-gun you can. Never lose a 50-50 ground ball. Always run as hard as you can when out there. You'll be off soon to rest. Part of your job is to set the tone, pace and volume of the game. You want to instill fear and self-doubt in your opponent. This hurts their confidence and makes them less aggressive, which makes you more effective.

When off the ball:

There are six players on the offense, so your man will only have the ball about 17% of the time.  That means 83% of your defensive game is played when your man doesn't have the ball. So you better be good off-ball because that's most of your D game.

1. Spend most of your time looking at your man and the other players without the ball.

2. Use all your senses: FEEL AROUND, LISTEN AND TALK. Your goalie should be telling you where the ball is and what defense you are in and what formation the offense is in. This way you don't have to take your eyes off your man.

3. See the ball 10 percent of the time, just to get more info. Do this with a quick turn of the head, and then see your man again.

4. KEEP YOUR HIPS TURNED TOWARD YOUR MAN AT ALL TIMES! You won't have time to turn and find him if he is receiving a feed. If you think another opponent is behind you, reach your hand out to try to touch him without taking your eyes of your man. Be big in there, push people around.

5. If you're going to look at the ball as it's being passed around the horn, ALWAYS TURN THROUGH YOUR MAN! This means if you are playing defense against the top left middie and he passes the ball to the leftwing attackman, who throws it to the attackman at X, who throws it to the rightwing attackman, you need to move your body in a certain way. DO NOT TURN YOUR BODY COUNTERCLOCKWISE in this situation and follow the ball. You should see the pass to the leftwing attackman and then LOOK OVER YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER to see the ball at X and the right wing, without turning your feet or hips. Thus you have turned THROUGH YOUR MAN to see the ball.

6. Cover the offensive players, not spots, even when in zone. (i.e. adapt the shape of your zone to their formation).

7. As for playing team defense, when in doubt slide early, help and double often.

Tips for Shooting on the Run

Shooting on the Run
tips from Mark Millon, Jay Jalbert and others

Mechanics

"I remember when I first started to force myself to do it lefty, it was just a really awkward thing. You're running, and you have to keep your whole upper body still, and still have torque," Jalbert says. "And I remember just fighting through that. It was a really difficult thing."

Remember the two Ts: torso and torque.

Paul Rabil - one of the best ever shooting on the run

As opposed to a stationary shot, in which you can plant your feet and release it head-on, shooting on the run requires less of your legs to generate shot power. Most of it will come from your arms and midsection. Your legs, however, do generate the momentum, which is then converted by your upper body into shot power.

Approaching the cage as a righty, you should line up your shot four steps in advance. Jalbert calls it, simply, a run dodge. Draw your defender on your left hip while sweeping right. Take your first three steps down the alley -- left, right, left -- to get him there.

Then, on your fourth step, your right foot steps over your release point.

Allow your feet about a millisecond delay for your upper body to initiate shooting motion. Then whip your torso in a right-to-left motion toward the cage, and follow through with your arms and wrists as you would naturally.

(Approaching as a lefty, use the reverse footwork.)

Hand Position and Arm Angle

Before that fourth step, your hands should already be in a position to shoot.

As with any shot, your top hand should not be too close to the throat of the stick, because you will wind up pushing the ball.

But more so with shooting on the run, your top hand should not be too low, either. A lot of the whip is already generated by the torso-torque mechanic. Positioning your hands too low on the stick not only leaves you susceptible to a trail check, but it also decreases accuracy. A shot on the run is already less accurate than a stationary shot.

When you step over the release point with that fourth step, your hands should extend away from your body, elbows up, and ready to follow through on the torque created by your upper body.

Also, keep the stick "light in your hands," Jalbert advises. "A lot of real young players, they have that kung-fu grip," he says. "It should be tender."

As for arm angles, shooting on the run lends itself best to sidearm and overhand approaches. Choose the angle according to your position on the field.  Overhand shooting is more accurate on the run and many top players recommend an overhand shot when shooting on the run to improve accuracy.

However, if you're dodging across the goal, go ahead and shoot sidearm. This gives you a better angle and widens your options of where to shoot on the cage.

If you're coming down either alley, an overhand shot works best.

'Get Small'

Think of a spring-loaded gun. "My body gets small before I shoot," Jalbert says.

The more tightly wound your torso is upon your release, the more power you'll get on your shot. It means tightening up your abdomen by contorting your upper body and hips, and releasing that energy through your arms and wrists.

Lean into the goal when shooting to generate this effect.

Step over your release point with your outside foot, delay, and whip your torso around for the greatest strength on your running shot.  You can think of it like a golfers swing or leading with your hips in a baseball swing.

Drills and Workouts

Your body wants to stop. It wants to stop and shoot. So practice everything in motion, without a ball, even.

Jalbert had an apple orchard in his backyard growing up. There were six trees in a row. To get used to shooting on the run, when he was younger, he would dodge each tree in succession, and practice getting his hands out into shooting position after each tree.

The same effect could be achieved with any row of obstacles. The important thing is that you never stop moving your feet.

As for developing muscles used while shooting on the run, use workouts for strengthening your rotational core.

More tips for shooting on the run:

Shooting on the run may be the hardest skill to learn in lacrosse and will require tons of practice. You are going to be shooting on the run a lot. When you are practicing, spend as much time as you can focusing on shooting on the run. Any time your on a goal practicing your shot (hopefully all the time) spend 85%-90% of the time running full speed and shooting.  Don't worry if you miss the goal badly the first few hundred times. 

There are a few keys to scoring from outside.

Try to be deceptive. Try to hide your stick behind your body until the last second.  You are going to have the defensive players from the opposing team all over you when you have the ball, so you need to learn to be deceptive.

Paul Rabil shooting on the run

Shoot with the proper technique. Hands and elbows high and away from your body, hands 12 inches apart close to the bottom of your handle, turn your shoulders and hips and uncork like a golfer.  Your power will come from a big hip and shoulder turn while cradling your stick behind your body.  Just as your ready to release your shot uncork your body in the direction of the target.

Don’t be afraid to take bounce shots.  They can provide an additional aspect of deception with unpredictable bounces and often find the back of the cage.

Learn to do it with both hands.

This description is for a right handed shot, a left handed shot will be reversed.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE GOAL. Start by moving across the face of the goal from the right side to the left and have your shoulders parallel with the sidelines but as you begin to plant your left foot "show your numbers" to the goal. Begin the shooting motion by planting your left foot so it will face at about the 10 o'clock position, bring your right foot around slightly after so it will end up pointing at the goal. Be sure to have your right foot come around slightly before the stick, this will force you to "coil" your body so you will have more torque in your body which translates to more velocity in your shot. YOU MUST TAKE A WIDE STEP WITH YOUR RIGHT FOOT SO YOU CAN GET ALL OF THE VELOCITY FROM THE TORQUE IN YOU BODY INTO THE SHOT.  Remember, you are moving through the entire process, do not stop to shoot.  If you bring your right foot around properly with all of your body power behind the shot, the follow through should almost spin you completely around. Keep the stick behind your body so the goalie cannot see it, be careful not to "hang the stick". YOU SHOULD HAVE A SORE LOWER BACK AFTER WORKING ON THIS OR YOU ARE NOT DOING IT RIGHT. You can practice shooting on the run from any angle on the field. It does not have to be across the face of the goal only.

Again, this is a tough skill even for top players.  It is going to take a considerable amount of practice to master.  Watch some high level lacrosse to see it in action!!

Tips for a New Lacrosse Goalie

Goalies might be the most important player on the lacrosse field.  It's important for coaches, especially youth lacrosse coaches, to cultivate goalies.  It has been said that good goaltending is worth more than a 6 goals per game attackman.

 

Goalie is also perhaps the most intense lacrosse position.  Goalies take both a mental and physical beating to ensure that your team wins.

Here are some goalie tips from Lacrosse-Information: 

TIP #1)  Get the most protection you can afford.  If you feel safe, you can focus better on the ball and not worry about getting hurt.  Don't try to copy what your favorite college lacrosse goalie wears.  A young goalie will be getting shot on by players who don't have the accuracy Division I and professional lacrosse players have.  There will be a lot of balls coming directly at your body, not at the corners or the holes.  If you're protected adequately and feel safer, you'll play better.

TIP #2)  Know your "ready position". A proper ready position means that your top hand thumb is at eye level, and the top of the stick is level with the cross bar.  Your knees should be bent, and your feet should be shoulder width apart. Finally, in order to have extra give when you stop a shot, your hands should be about 1 1/2 feet out in front of you.

TIP #3)  Always know where the ball is at on the playing field. When the ball is in the other end of the field practice focusing on the ball at all times. Watch it go from player to player. Don't take your eyes off it at all. If you catch yourself seeing more than just the ball just try an refocus until you can stay on the ball for a length of time. At first you will notice all sorts of other things and that's o.k. Just work on trying to see only the ball moving from stick to stick. When the ball comes in your end of the field this drill will help you a ton. Also, use your good vision to look into the shooter's eyes. Nine times out of ten, the person shooting the ball is looking directly where he is going to shoot it. Use this to your advantage, and become a better goalie. 

TIP #4)  Become a good passer. If you make a good save, make a good pass to your teammate.  Don't throw the ball right back to the opposition.  You can save every single shot, but if you can't pass the ball, then you won't be a good goalie. 

TIP #5)  ALWAYS step to the ball.  Stepping to the ball allows you to cut off the angle a little bit more, which gives you a slight edge.  It also allows the goalie to go out and attack the bounce shots.  Rather than just waiting for a hard-to-get bounce shot to come to you, you should go to it. By attacking the shot, you are putting yourself in a better position to save a goal.

TIP #6)  BE LOUD! Let your defenders know who is cutting, where the ball is, who is passing.  Let them know everything.  During a game, talking will help out your defense.  As the goalie, you are the captain of the defense. So let them know what you see, every second of that game. Talking not only helps out your defense, but it allows you to be better prepared for the shot. Goalies who don't talk get lazy (not seeing the cutters, or even the shot!).

Here is a list of things that a goalie can say to help communicate with the defense. It is important that the defense know this list as well.

1. "Ball Side Right, Top Right, X" - Tells defense-men where the ball is on the field.
2. "Cutter" - Offensive player is cutting to the net looking for a pass.
3. "Ball down" - Any time the ball is on the ground. (Everyone should say this)
4. "Slide" - Bring an extra man to the person with the ball.
5. "Clear" - The goalie has the ball, so break out and look for a pass.
6. "Mark up" or "Number up" - Find the player you are guarding.
7. "Check" - Check sticks because there is a dangerous pass coming.

TIP #7)  Be on the lookout for cocky, loud mouthed players. These guys almost always shoot high.  When you spot a player who looks and acts better than everyone else, then odds are he is shooting up high. (take this one with a grain of salt...)

 

TIP #8)  Know how to handle the lacrosse ball. Whether you like it or not, sooner or later, you are going to have to come out of the net. So, when that happens, be prepared.  Make sure your cradle is good enough to resist a few stick checks.

TIP #9)  Do not be afraid of the ball!  Newer goalies often have a tendency to be afraid of the ball hitting them.  As a goalie, you want the ball to hit you, because that means that you made the save!  To get over this fear, just tell all of the players at practice to aim at the goalie and not the goal.  Eventually, and many bruises later, he will be so accustomed to lacrosse balls hitting him, that he won't be afraid any longer.  This also goes back to Tip #1 - Wear enough protection!

TIP #10)  Always keep a good, positive attitude!  If you give up a goal do not get down on yourself or your defense.  You can't take the goal off the scoreboard but you can recognize what you did wrong, practice that step or specific movement, and get the next one!  Have confidence in your abilities to stop the ball.  If you lose your confidence, your defense will soon follow.  Always believe you can save every shot.